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What is the ContraSENE?
Hi, I'm Gary, and I maintain the ContraSENE website. ContraSENE lists all the Contra dances in SouthEastern
New England (SENE).
I needed a way to keep track of when and where all the dances were. Some friends in Rhode Island
had been maintaining a monthly flyer called SEA-DANCE, which I took over in 1997. Eventually, I created this web site. I no
longer print or distribute hardcopies, so visitors simply check the site & print it the Flyer page periodically.
How
important is this web site to people? It depends. If you only attend one dance regularly, you probably pick up their latest
flyer at their dance, so you already know who is calling there and when. Some dances, such as Rehoboth and Medway, have their
own websites. But some, such as Mystic, Greater Providence, and Cape Cod (there are 3 dances there!) do not have their own
dedicated sites, so you should use ContraSENE to stay informed. I stay in frequent contact with the organizers of those dances,
and keep the site up to date. Which brings up one other point: the ContraSENE is essentially the TV Guide of Contra Dances,
but it is not a dance organization, and I am not a dance organizer. If you need more detailed information about a particular
dance, and the information you need is not listed on ContraSENE, you should feel free to contact the respective dance organizer
(point of contact) listed on the flyer. Also fill me in if you see errors or missing info, so I can update it. (email ContraSENE@yahoo.com)
If you are planning on traveling through the Southeastern New England and are looking for dances, you have found the right
place.
I heard you moved to San Diego, Gary. Who maintains ContraSENE now?
You heard right, I moved to San Diego in 2001. But I still maintain ContraSENE and shall continue to do
so. I dance in San Diego, LA, Santa Barbara, even SanFran when I get the chance. See you at NEFFA, it's well worth the trip
back East.
Is there much Contra dancing in the New England states?
Yes, absolutely. As you may know, there are Contra dances all over the US (and abroad), but I would guesstimate that
there are more Contra dances per-square-mile in New England than in any other part of the US. For instance, if you live in
New London CT (halfway between New York & Boston), then you have about seven 7 different dances per month within an hour's
drive. That number doubles if you're willing to drive two hours. And that's not even counting upstate (Vermont, New Hampshire)
where you can't swing a dead fiddle without hitting a Contra dance. A few more thoughts on its popularity and ubiquity: ...
one of the biggest folk festivals in the US, called "NEFFA", takes place annually in Natick, MA, around April (http://www.neffa.org/~neffa/)...
three days, about 10,000 people, hundreds of different things happening... ... the mecca of Contra dancing in New England
is arguably Greenfield, MA, at the Guiding Star Grange (http://www.guidingstargrange.org/)... ... there are 12-hour-long
"Dawn Dances" ( http://www.dawndance.org/) designed to wear out even the most diehard among us ...
Is the flyer up-to-date?
The ContraSENE flyer is continuously updated (at least one a month), and always presents all the information
I've accumulated to-date. If what you're looking for isn't listed, then it's not within the SouthEastern New England area,
I haven't been made aware of it, or it doesn't exist.
You may have noticed that the flyer has a very structured-looking appearance, some statistics, and almost
no typoes. That's because I input the data into a Microsoft Access database I designed, and it generates the flyer. This approach
makes maintaining it a breeze. It only takes me a few minutes a month to update it.
What happened to the Brooklyn dance?
It moved to Chaplin, a bit over 10 miles West of Brooklyn, placing it about 17 miles West of I395. See the SE Connecticut
page for more info.
I'm planning a wedding / anniversary / special occasional and I want to book a Contra caller and band...
Your best bet is to call a Contra dance organizer in your area. They are listed on the Directions web page by state.
I'll be visiting Connecticut / Rhode Island / Mass next month and would love stay overnight with other Contra dancers...
Again, contact the Contra dance organizer for the dance you want to attend.
I want to be more involved...
90% of anything is showing up - and the best way to stay involved is to dance, and bring your friends along. Most organizers
are always looking for volunteers to help man the check-in table, prepare & clean up the hall. Once every few years, an
organizer looks for someone else to take over as well. Openings are posted when they come along.
I'm going to San Diego / Texas / Britain, how do I find a dance there...
There are several online Contra Dance listings. I like NEFFA's Linkfest.
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